Zawadi
A Mighty Tale Told in the Mighty Marvel Manner!
Death Comes Swiftly!
October 3, 1956
Within a small café, nestled deep within the winding side streets of Cairo, a meeting was underway. Sitting in the back, a gleaming hook attached to his stump, was a man. Ulysses Klaw, formerly of the Technical University at Delft, tapped his prosthetic against the scratched tabletop as another man joined him.
The figure sat down in front of him. He was young, despite the white hair. His features were obscured by a small black mask. He ordered a beer as Ulysses leaned forward. "I trust your trip was not unpleasant?"
The man snorted. "If you call getting shanghaied from a prison yard unpleasant." The waiter handed him a chipped glass filled with a foamy brew. "Not that I'm complaining, mind you."
"I didn't think so. Tell me, Mr.…"
"Blackjack. If you went to the trouble of springing me, let's just keep to the business name, ok?"
"Very well Blackjack. Allow me to be brief; have you ever heard of a country called 'Wakanda'?"
"Vaguely."
"Yes well. Wakanda is a land filled with a substance called 'Vibranium', a metal with unique properties, properties that are vital to my work. I attempted some months back to enter the land and collect some samples." He held his hook up into the light. "I ran into some…trouble."
"So you want me to go there, do a snatch and grab?"
"Yes, as well as one more thing."
"Yeah?"
"There was a boy, the son of the former king. My men told me his name is T'Challa. I want him dead."
"And for all of this, how much can I get?"
Klaw's smile stayed in place, but his manner changed. Gone was the genial host. In the man's eyes hate boarding on madness danced wildly, giving even Blackjack pause. "All that you desire, provided you bring me that brat's hand!"
Z
Zawadi couldn't help but notice how dry her mouth was, yet how damp her palms had become. Standing before the great doors to the throne room had that effect, she knew, but she still chided herself. "Relax, T'Challa summoned you. There are no guards, so its not like you are in trouble."
The sentries were silent as she entered the vast throne room. Before her, standing off to the side of the throne, stood a young man with a heavy heart. Strolling forward, Zawadi called to her cousin. "T'Challa!"
The young prince glanced up at her from his papers. The throne room had been turned into a makeshift office, as the prince had begun his leaving of the country. "Zawadi, my cousin, how glad am I to see you!" The prince put his papers aside as he rushed forward and embraced her.
"I came as soon as I received word. Mr. Bloodstone was rather disappointed at my leaving."
"I'm sure. It's not often a man meets a woman like you, cousin."
"T'Challa!" Zawadi gave her royal kin a light slap on the arm. "Mr. Bloodstone is a friend, nothing more." Changing the topic, she looked at the disarray around her. "What exactly was so urgent that I had to fly all the way here from Borneo? I was on a hunt with Mr. Bloodstone for a dangerous-"
"I know, a rumored gorilla-like monster. The reason I summoned you, cousin, is that something has come to my attention, and frankly, I don't trust anyone else."
Zawadi's mood darkened. "What is it?"
"Our intelligence reports that the man known as Klaw might send an operative here in an attempt to steal our Vibranium."
"One man?" Zawadi smirked at the news. "Cousin, an entire army couldn't penetrate our land. What can what man do?"
"True, but Uncle S'yan is away, and I didn't wish to alert this fact to him."
"But why? As Black Panther, it is his duty to stop invaders…"
"Yes, but Klaw is the man who murdered my father. Stopping him should be my right, yet all my advisors order me to delegate the duty to someone else."
"Cousin, I understand, but why not allow Uncle to fight him?"
T'Challa turned to her and sighed. His voice dropped to barely above a whisper. "As I said, Uncle is away. There are rumors that the White Gorilla Cult has returned, and we can't allow that poison to spread once more. He is investigating it, and I don't know when he'll return."
"And since I promised father I'd continue my schooling in Europe, I'm afraid to let anyone else handle this matter."
"I see." Zawadi's manner changed. No longer the carefree young woman, she was now her other self, a hunter. "What can you give me on the target?"
"Very little as of yet. Klaw has been sending out offers to various thieves and mercenaries, but there's been no word on who has joined with him."
"Very well, this must be handled quickly, correct?"
"Yes."
"Then allow me these." She marched to a rack of weapons on the wall and pulled down a spear, two short swords, a shield, a tightly knotted rope, and several daggers. "I'll bring this foe down before your return."
BJ
Blackjack wiped his brow in the heat. Around him stood the rest of the men Klaw had assigned him, not that it made any difference. "You must bring me the youth's arm and the metal, and anything you want will be the reward!" Klaw's words still rang in his ears.
"And I bet he told the rest of these jokers the same deal, didn't he?" He spat.
"Nope, just you. Said a single figure could slip through their defenses easier." Wilson, some wash out from the Marines, grinned. "Not to worry, we'll be here waiting here on this side of the border."
"Great." Suddenly prison didn't seem so bad. Shucking his jacket off, he picked up his knapsack and slung it over his shoulder. "So it's a half a klick to the mountain, and half back, assuming no problems?"
"Yup."
"Fantastic." Turning, he promptly vanished in the tall grass. Ordinarily he'd stick out, what with his purple and black costume, but for this, he felt dressing down would be for the best. Keeping only the mask, he rolled up the sleeves on his tan tunic. "Better hang on to the mask. Keeping my face hidden might save me some trouble down the road." Slipping carefully down the hill, he pulled his binoculars out of his sack and spied at the village down below. "Huts and no signs of life. Maybe I'll get lucky this time out."
Z
Zawadi carefully made her way through the brush. T'Challa offered her the use of his flying sled, but she had to turn him down. "Never trust a machine when your own legs work." She slipped silently past the outskirts of the city and climbed to the top of a tree. She could have waited for the invader, assuming whoever they were made that far, to steal the Vibranium, but she didn't want to risk it. There was too much at stake.
"I have to be the one on the offense." Checking her weapons, she sighed as she hefted the pistol in her hand. She would have preferred to throw the hunk of metal off the side of the nearest mountain and away from her, but she understood the reasons for having it. She just didn't like it.
Sliding back down, she made her way towards the Warrior Falls. With the potential uprisings in the west, and settlements along the East, the best way to get to the precious metal would be to go down Mount Wakanda and follow the River of Grace and Wisdom. "I must stop this invader, who ever he is."
BJ
Blackjack grunted as he trudged down the mountain's face. The grass had given way to a sheer rock face. It had been only luck that he had avoided the few villages that hugged the craggy visage. "Remember, Vibranium in its purest form can only be cut using special tools. Don't lose them." Klaw's words came back to him.
"And what about weapons?" Blackjack patted the .45 on his hip. It was a small comfort. "What do I do when the Wakandian Army goes barking up my tail?"
"Simple, don't let it happen."
Blackjack grumbled as he came to a resting place. "Lousy Dutchman!" Slipping the pack off of his shoulders, he sat down on a nearby rock. "If a small army failed, what can one man do?" Wishing for a cigarette, he scanned the outlaying fields and streams. "Just have to make it to the waterfall, from there it's a smooth trip."
"Right, and I'm Wally Pip."
Z
Zawadi paddled her makeshift canoe as she made her way upstream. "I'll swing by the narrows and wait. The invader must pass through there, and I must be ready for him."
She rowed until her arms burned. Coming near to shore, she disembarked and waded onto land. Dragging her canoe onto the beach, she propped it against a nearby rock. She smiled to herself as she looked over the craft. "Not a bad job, even if I did make it." Gathering wood, she pulled out her flint and built a small fire. Coiling her rope, she buried her gear in the dirt, but as she picked up her spear, the unmistakable sounds of rustling grass made her move.
"So, the pretenders to Wakanda have sent a spy?" Three men emerged from the tall grass. The white pelts around their waists showed their allegiance. The leader of the group twirled his machete. "What do you think brothers, should we kill her, or should we teach her a lesson first?"
The other two drew their blades. Zawadi sighed and shook her head. "You can leave now, and I may not report you."
The leader, a thuggish lout with a crisscross of scars over his chest, snickered. "Very generous, but I don't think you are in the position to-" His words died on his tongue as his two companions pitched forward; twin knifes sticking out of their throats.
"You were saying?" The now lone man paled. His machete quivered in his hand.
"Wait, we were simply hunting, we never meant you any offense!"
Zawadi arched an eyebrow. "Really? Funny how your story changes," She pointed her spear at him. "But since I am in a hurry, I could let you leave with your companions and your life."
The man sweated. Staring at the spear tip, he lowered his weapon. Turning around, he darted off into the brush. Planting the spear into the ground, Zawadi retrieved her knives and prepared to bury the two men. "No sense in attracting any more beasts."
BJ
Blackjack swore for the umpteenth time as he tried to navigate the rapids. Climbing down the mountain had been no picnic, but he had wasted valuable time in getting to the river. "At least the raft works!" he paddled with the current, but the water was quickly proving its dominance over him. Dropping the paddle inside the raft, he gripped the sides as the black rubber craft was quickly turned upside down.
Struggling with his weighted backpack, he slipped free of the accursed weight and swam towards the remaining daylight. He managed to break the surface just as his raft was going over the side of the waterfall. "Aw, crud!"
Z
Zawadi finished patting the earth down. "I wonder if the Black Panther knew of these men?" She made a mental note to contact her uncle later. Getting back to her dinner, she stopped as she spied a strange green mass some distance away in the river. "What's that?"
Slipping her canoe into the water, she paddled swiftly as she drew nearer to the object. "A man!" The man was floating facedown, a backpack wrapped around his ankle. Turning him over, she saw his eyes flicker. "Still alive, could he be the invader?" Hauling him up, she made her way back to shore.
Dragging him back to land, she stretched him out and pressed down on his chest. Water ran out of his mouth as he gagged. Getting a better look at him, she took in the details. He was tall, with an average build, white hair, yet his face looked surprisingly youthful. "I've never seen him before, and that usually means trouble."
Picking up her spear, she untangled his backpack and rifled through it as he regained consciousness. "Digging tools, maps, a gun?" Tightening her grip, she leveled the spear tip at him he woke up. "Start talking."
Blackjack, the haze lifting from his eyes, found himself staring at the business end of a rather long spear. "Damn."
"Not a good answer." Zawadi leaned closer, the tip hovering perilously closer to his eye. "Who are you, and is your business here?"
Blackjack coolly took his eyes off of the deadly weapon and looked into the woman's eyes. She was dressed in skins, yet she had the air of a general. Remembering what Klaw had given him, he rattled off the false information. "My name is Taylor, Charles Taylor. I'm a scientist." He gestured towards the bag at her feet. "My credentials are in my bag."
"What were you doing, sneaking into my country?"
Blackjack was starting to panic. The spear never wavered. Remembering the story, he slowly spread his palms out. "Like I said, I'm a scientist. I was looking into studying your Vibranium mound, but I'm afraid the process of obtaining a permit was taking too long."
"So you snuck in like a thief?" She cocked an eyebrow. "Mr. Taylor, I am finding some doubt within your story."
"Aw, well, you see I had some theories about your metal, theories that needed to be tested." Scrambling to remember the details, Blackjack slowly started to scoop dirt into his hands. "You see, there might a rot, a cancer if you will, that could destroy all the Vibranium in the world."
Zawadi's snort did little to calm his nerves. "Metal rot? I find that hard to believe." Stepping back, she gestured with the spear. "Get up, I'm placing you under arrest."
"Alright." Quickly, he threw the dirt into her eyes as he scrambled to his feet. Staggering back, she jabbed blindly with her weapon. Slipping his mask back on, he darted forward and tackled her to the ground.
"Pig!" She brought her knee up, slamming into his midsection. Wheezing, he rolled off of her and stumbled away. Wiping her eyes clear, she hurled the deadly projectile at his retreating form.
"Damnation!" He swore as the sharp tip sliced through his knee. Staggering, he hopped around on one leg as the deadly warrior approached him. Holding his hands up, he tried another tactic. "Wait, don't kill me!"
Her glowering made him pale. In her hands were a length of rope and knife. He noticed the knife's blade had fresh blood on it. She stood still. "I'm not, only because your corpse would give me no information."
"Alright, this job has gone to crackers far enough." Limping towards her, he held his hands up. "Look, this was just a job, nothing personal. How about I tell you who hired me, and you let me go?"
For an answer Zawadi swept his leg. Quickly reaching out, she bound his hands with the rope. "I have a better offer; you will accompany me to the capital, where we get your leg looked at, as soon as you tell us who's behind this."
He grumbled as he rolled over, trying his best to avoid getting any more dirt in the wound. "Fine, fine, I give up." Hobbling to his feet, he pointed to his wound. "Do you mind if I patch this up first?"
She took the first aid kit out of his bag. Checking it first for weapons, she removed some bandages and alcohol. Tossing them to him, she stood silently as he cleaned the wound and dressed it. "Ready?"
"Yeah, sure." Limping in front of her, he pointed to the bag. "You might want to take that. It has some of my employer's equipment." As she slung the pack over her shoulder, she steered him towards the river's edge. "Alright, this has gone to pot rather quickly. Klaw can keep his money, nothing can be worth this much hassle." His thoughts grew darker. "What if they plan to kill me? I didn't sign up for this!"
As he climbed into the canoe, he turned his head back as Zawadi paddled. "Hey, look, I meant what I said. This was just a job. The guy who hired me was named Klaw, he has a hook for hand!"
Zawadi's eyes opened wide with shock. "Klaw?" Her face darkened. "And you joined forces with him?"
"Why do I get the feeling I said the wrong thing?" Blackjack mentally kicked himself. "Like I said, it was just a job, and to be fair, I was technically abducted."
Elsewhere
Unknown to Zawadi and even Blackjack, they were both being observed. Wilson grimly smiled to himself as he put down the headset. "Perfect. That chump's doing everything the boss said he would."
"But are we sure the transmitter will work this far?" Van Owen nervously tightened his grip on his Thompson sub machine.
"Relax, the boss got this from the best." Wilson picked up his own rifle. "Tell the rest of the boys to break camp. We follow that pair until they get to the capital. While those chumps are worrying about that masked moron, we make off with the metal."
The assembled men gave a brief cheer before getting to work. "Like clockwork boss." Wilson smiled contently as he bayoneted a snake that had slithered into camp. "Come on you goldbricks, we're on the clock!"
Z
Zawadi said little to Blackjack. That hadn't stopped him from talking, of course, but she saw no reason to give him a reason. He droned on about his life, his times in various correctional facilities, and his turn to crime. "Very droll, now do you mind keeping quiet?"
Blackjack raised his hand in a gesture of surrender. "Sorry, just trying to make a conversation."
Zawadi shook her head in annoyance. Looking down, her eyes fell upon the open backpack. The top flap had come loose, and with the movement of the canoe, the fabric had slipped free. When she first opened the pack, she thought nothing of its contents. Why should she, when all she saw were the tools of someone trying to steal from her country? But looking closer, she spied something odd. Nestled down at the bottom was what appeared to be a can of shaving cream.
That by itself wouldn't even have raised an eyebrow, but there some was something odd about it. The container was black and lacked any logos. Bringing the paddle in, she carefully reached down and tried to pick it up, but found the can was affixed to the bag itself. Popping the top, she almost gasped as she saw the circuits inside. "A transmitter!"
Eyeing Blackjack, she carefully put the top back and closed the pack. Taking the paddle, she quickly began to paddle towards the shore. "What's going on?" Blackjack sounded confused.
"Something came up."
Landing, she picked up the backpack and walked along the shore. Blackjack stayed in the canoe. "Hey, where are you going?"
Zawdi turned and threw the pack at him. He caught it, barely, and looked up at her. "What gives?"
"Inside." When Blackjack found the transmitter, he quickly dropped it. "Let me guess, you have no idea how it got in there?"
"Yeah, I don't!" Blackjack pleaded. "Look, I swear, I have no idea that was in there!" Looking at the enraged woman, he drew a blank. What else could he do? "So, what happens now?"
"Taking you to the capital is out of the question. Your friends, no doubt, have been following us."
"Well, can't we just go to the capital and warn them?"
She gave a grim smile. "A good idea, but I can't allow them to gain anymore ground here."
"Look, I swear, I had no idea they had a bug! Just let me go, and I'll lead them away!"
She pointed to the river. "That river only goes one way, and it goes by the Vibranium. No, you would lead them right to it." She walked over to the canoe and began to drag it towards a grove of trees.
"Hey, what are you doing?" Blackjack gripped the edges of the craft.
"I'm putting you in a sling. With that leg of yours, you aren't much use in a fight." Running ropes through some carefully placed holes in the craft, she tossed the rope over a sturdy branch and effortlessly lifted the canoe up. "Now stay here. I'm going to signal for help, which is more than likely going to alert your friends that we know. Help should arrive within the hour."
Blackjack looked down and shook his head. "Look, I'm sorry about this. Those guys are all working for Klaw. There are eight of them, and they are all armed to the teeth. Machine guns, grenades, the works" he looked over Zawadi's weapons. "You won't stand a chance with those pig-stickers"
Zawadi's wry response puzzled him. "You'd be surprised at how often people tell me that." Drawing a knife, she handed it to him. "In case they get past me and don't feel like taking you back." Blackjack blinked and she was gone.
Grumbling, he leaned back in the canoe and silently swore that he'd go straight, assuming he survived. "Bare minimum, no more jobs for hire!"
Z
The huntress in Zawadi took careful appraisal of the situation. Before her, with the river East of them and the Paradise Forest West to them, she made a note of the group. They were all military from the looks of them. She counted eight, all of them armed. Half of them were inside a tent while a guard of four surrounded them in a circle. "This is not going to be easy." The four men were stationed wide apart. "Probably to avoid shooting each other."
Drawing her bow, she notched an arrow and took aim. Rushing headlong into a fight would only get her killed. Even with her enhanced strength, she knew she couldn't block a bullet. Aiming carefully, she let the string go. The guard at the furthest point clutched his neck and pitched forward. She ducked into the woods as the men fired randomly. Only a few bullets chipped the trees around her, but it was enough. She had them rattled.
W
"What the devil is going on here?" Wilson shouted as he jumped out of the tent.
"Red just bought it!" Van Owen was almost hysterical.
Dieter, one of the few men Wilson genuinely trusted, kneeled over the corpse. "Severed both arties. He's cooked."
Wilson stared into the woods. Was that someone moving? Squinting in the fading light, he shook his head. "Break camp."
"What? But we'll be stumbling around in the dark!"
"Better to be moving target than a sitting duck." Wilson took a swig from his hip flask and spat the foul contents on Red's body. "According to the boss's gizmo our two cats are sitting pretty up stream. We can catch up to them in an hour, and then move on to the mound. Any problems?"
The rest of the men held their complaints to themselves. Unseen by them, Zawadi mentally counted her tally. "Only one, but the seven are now heading towards Blackjack. I suppose I should whittle down the numbers, just to make it fair."
W
Wilson paddled with the current as he and three of his men made their way upstream. Van Owen and the rest took all the equipment and went ahead. "We'll get that masked goofball, you get the stuff." Wilson replayed the scene in his head.
"Right, and leave everything to me." He mouthed Van Owen's words back to himself. The high-strung gunner was starting to get on his nerves. "After this job, forget it. I'm working solo!"
A sudden streak of light from around the river bend shook him out of his fantasies. "A flare? Have we been spotted?" His question was answered as they turned the bend. He loudly swore as he paddled towards the shore.
On the shoreline were the tattered remains of one of his men. The last remnant of their raft was slipping under the murky water of the river. Jumping out of the raft, he dashed towards the prone figure. "Van Owen!"
The man was already dead. His head had been neatly severed and placed near his neck. Thumbing the safety off of his machine gun, Wilson carefully looked around. Moving back to the shore, he cursed again as he saw the raft floating back out. "Dieter, what's wrong with you?" Shinning his flashlight at the raft, his blood chilled as he saw the knife handle sticking out of the taller man's chest. Flicking the light off, Wilson stepped back carefully. Turning around, he broke into a full sprint towards the woods.
B
Blackjack rubbed his palms together. He was trying to wipe them dry. "Come on, where is everyone?" He was fairly sure there was someone else there; he thought he heard movement around the base of the tree, but he wasn't sure. Gripping his knife tighter, his chest tightened when he saw the all too familiar light of a flare sailing through the air. It landed at the edge of the clearing, casting its brilliant light over everything.
"Come on out!" Wilson's voice rang out in the night. A short burst of bullets accented his challenge.
Blackjack stretched out and pressed himself against the bottom of the canoe. Gripping the knife even tighter, he felt his pulse race faster as a short volley of fire sent splinters raining down on his stomach. As Wilson drew closer, he suddenly sat up and threw the knife at the sound. Wilson's short scream rang out and then the entire jungle seemed stilled.
Z
A few moments before
Zawadi crawled through the bush as she neared the target. Her flare had alerted the Black Panther in time as she found them moping up the rest of the hired guns. Her grim smile at the sight told the Panther volumes as she pointed out Wilson. With the rest of the group hidden, she slowly rose to a crouch as the mercenary fired wildly into the trees. She briefly worried about Blackjack, but quickly banished the thought. "All business now."
Picking up a stone, she tossed it into the woods. As Wilson fired at the sound, she stood up and let her spear fly. It pierced the man's side with a heavy wet thud. She was on him in a second.
Quickly knocking the machine gun from his hands, she wrapped her arm around his neck and applied what was commonly known around the world as a 'head lock'. With one firm twist the man's struggles ceased. Dragging the body away, she signaled the Black Panther.
As the body was taken away, she noticed a glint of metal in the dying light of the flare. "One of my knives, but how did it get over here?" Picking it up, she made her way over to the tree holding Blackjack.
B
"Hello?"
"Finally!" Blackjack raised his head. "You back?"
"Glad to see you are still among the living." She quickly started a fire with some handy flint.
"Name's Zawadi, by the way." She stretched out as the fire grew. "Tell me, there were eight men with you, correct?"
"Huh? Yeah, yeah, I told you that. Why?"
"Just wondering." She mentally added up the men she fought. Eight, so the stranger wasn't lying about that. The rustling of the grass made her turn around, but at the sight of the Black Panther and his men she relaxed.
"Who're they?" Blackjack started to panic, but Zawadi held up her hand.
"The law of this land." Pulling her spear free from Wilson's body, she pointed to Blackjack and spoke in Wakandan. "Uncle, this one was with them, but he seemed unaware of Klaw."
"I see," The Black Panther shook his head. "Although that hardly excuses his trespassing. You caught him Zawadi, what do you suggest we do?"
She glanced back at the wounded man as he was lowered down and carried out of the canoe. "Killing him would serve no great purpose. He mentioned he was a criminal in his homeland, but sending him back might expose our secrets to the outside. He also might be able to lead us to Klaw."
"You have a point, but don't forget, he did enter our lands with the intention of theft, and I doubt Klaw would allow himself to be tied to him or those other men."
"Then he should be punished accordingly. Take him before the council; I would suggest some lenience." Gathering her weapons and equipment, she was stopped by the Panther.
"Where are you going now?"
"Home. After that, where ever fate takes me."
"Back to the hunt?"
She dropped the canoe into the water. "Perhaps. It still holds a place in my heart, but Uncle, I fear the time is coming that Wakanda will no longer be hidden from the outside world."
"True, but we can still protect it until they catch up with us."
She turned and looked at the older man. "Uncle, brainwashing isn't the long term answer. People are going to find out. Would you have us hidden away for all time? The world must know of us eventually."
"This is neither the time nor the place for this discussion." He turned and walked back to the waiting men.
"Uncle, at least promise me we will talk about this."
"Very well." The Panther walked past her and oversaw his men loading Blackjack onto the back of a new air-sled. Once loaded, they took off towards the capital while Zawdi stayed behind. The Black Panther turned to his second once they were far enough away. "Radio ahead and tell the doctors to prepare another cleaning. This man can not retain his memory of this land."
"But what of Zawadi?"
"She is family, but even she knows we can't allow outsiders to retain knowledge of our interior. Wipe his memory of that, then deport him back to America."
"Understood sir."
Z
Zawadi contemplated her words as she let the current take her towards the capital. "Wakanda has to change, I know it. But can T'Challa do it, or will we be forced to cut off the outside entirely?" She began to paddle. "Perhaps I could stay here." She looked down at her weapons and focused on the unused pistol. "No, even here I would grow bored. Change comes to us all. I'll have to adapt along with the rest of the land."
"Just not today." She emptied the chambers, and briefly thought about throwing the gun overboard, but finally dropped it back in the canoe. There would be time for change later. Right now she was young and free, and she planned on enjoying the first two states for as long as possible.
BJ
In the back of the sled, Blackjack had little inkling of what had been said. He felt light, almost dizzy as the strange craft raced towards the capital. "Forget the jungle! No more jobs outside the US of A for me." He had to smile as an intense sleepiness overcame him. "Maybe this was all a dream, and I'll wake up back in my cell." He chuckled as he drifted off to sleep. "Yeah, that'd be nice."
The end
Amazing Letters
This tale was wholly original. The character of Zawadi was created by Roger Stern and Mike Manley and appeared in Marvel Universe. The character of Blackjack was created by John Byrne for Marvel: The Lost Generation. All characters and concepts appearing in this tale are owned by Marvel Comics, all rights reserved.
And now the letters!
From They Call Me Bruce
Great. So you're going to be making this a series instead of one shots?
Well, not so much a series, but rather collected in place, so yeah.
From Tiffani
Great story Cambot. Sorry this isn't longer, but I'm sick and have to get to bed.
Not a problem, and I hope none of my stories were the cause of your illness.
Next issue, be sure to swing by again as we move ahead (and back) to a story that will reach out from the ancient days of Briton to the far flung world of the 21st Century. Be here for "Trinity"!
And for upcoming works:
Sensational Comics#12-Long Dark Night of the Soul
Tales to Astonish#11-The Terrible Traps of Egghead!
Journey Into Mystery#13-The Demon Duplicators
